From the Mag: The Art Behind Candice Appleby’s Photo Shoot

This summer, when we asked Candice Appleby to walk between six dudes staring at her on the beach, she wasn’t too sure about where we were going with it all. “Trust us,” we told her. We thought a re-creation of Ruth Orkin’s iconic 1951 photograph, “American Girl In Italy” would work perfectly for Appleby’s feature in the Fall issue of SUP magazine. Orkin photographed the then 23-year-old Ninalee Craig, who had recently quit her job and taken a boat to travel Europe-literally unheard of for a single woman at the time–walking the streets of Florence. The photo is often interpreted negatively because of the men’s expression, but in 2011, Craig told NBC’s Today Show that the picture was simply “a celebration of strong, independent women who aren't afraid to live life.”

Fitting for the independent thinking Appleby: “I really enjoyed re-creating this shot,” Appleby said. “It was more like, ‘Surfer Girl at Dog Patch. It reminded me of the years I lived in Waikiki and the times I’d walk home through the city streets in my bikini after a long surf session at Queens.”

There’s a free SUP magazine hat and leash to whoever’s the first to answer this question: What’s the other famous image we imitated in Appleby’s feature? Comment below or send your guess to Letters@supthemag.com

The Fall issue is on newsstands everywhere now. Or subscribe here to get SUP magazine in your mailbox.